


Owns your skin and bones

by Twist_and_Bend (pretzel_logic)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character tags TBA, F/M, Jinchuuriki Nohara Rin, Nohara Rin Lives, relationship tags TBA
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 14:23:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17427596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretzel_logic/pseuds/Twist_and_Bend
Summary: Rin’s been a prisoner of Kiri ever since she became the Sanbi’s  jinchuriki. Zabuza offers her freedom in return for help with a revolution. Nothing is as simple as it sounds.





	Owns your skin and bones

**Author's Note:**

> so this is what rare pair hell looks like.

Rin left her discussion with Isobu in their inner world when she sensed someone approaching her cell. It wasn’t any of her usual captors delivering food or her weekly allotment of necessities. It was someone new and Rin could not fight against the slight hope that this stranger was a sign of change. The Mizukage had almost killed her for the Sanbi before deciding letting her live and rot until he decided on a new candidate.   
  
How  _ merciful _ of him.   
  
The man that appeared outside her cell was young, perhaps in his late teens or early twenties. Close in her age for all that Rin had lost count of her years in captivity. He looked like any other Kiri nin except for the bandages wrapped around his face, covering the lower half like a mask that reminded her painfully of Kakashi, and similarly wrapped sword. One of the seven swordsman then, a new one.   
  
“I don’t think you’re supposed to be here,” Rin said in a singsong tone and gave the swordsman an overly cheerful smile. Let him think like so many others that her long term solitary confinement has driven her mad. It certainly would have if she had not eventually befriended Isobu.   
  
“I’m exactly where I want to be,” the man retorted as he leaned against the wall opposite her cell door, studying her openly. “So you’re the Sanbi.”   
  
Hm, he didn’t deny he was visiting her without permission but instead admitted he wanted to find her. Rin considered herself cautiously intrigued.   
  
“In a sense, yes,” Rin said as she dropped the childish act. “I’m the Sanbi’s jinchūriki. You may call me Rin. Who are you Swordsman?”   
  
“Zabuza Momochi,” Zabuza said, sounding irked liking taking time to exchange names was an inconvenience. Perhaps his unsanctioned visit to Rin was time-limited.    
  
Neither of them speak for a moment, too busy studying one another. Rin wondered just what Zabuza was looking for and then wondered what she looked like. She hadn’t been able to look herself over in a mirror for a long time now. Her reflection when she saw it in Isobu’s seal world didn’t count. She still saw herself as her fourteen year old self there.   
  
“What do you want Zabuza? You didn’t come here just to gawk,” Rin asked as she grew tired of whatever stalemate or competition of wills they had started.   
  
“Your aid in killing the Mizukage,” Zabuza said bluntly. Rin was taken aback by it. Admitting to wanting a Kage dead was a treasonous offense. At least it was in Konoha and Rin did not think Kiri was that different.   
  
“You want my help to become Mizukage?” Rin asked as she thought the request over. Having a jinchūriki backing your assassination plans certainly did help boost it’s chances of success and cement your ability to take up the hat.   
  
“I want your help to fix Kiri,” Zabuza clarified, rage bleeding into his voice and revealed plainly in his expression. A sense of Killing Intent started permeate in the air though Rin was hardly effected by it. “We’re destroying ourselves because of that asshole. I’m not going to let it continue. I put an end to the stupid graduation test, I’ll put an end to Kiri’s reputation of Bloody Mist.”   
  
There’s a spark of madness in Zabuza’s eyes, a type she knew. The kind that only gets there when you grind your teeth and claw your way to survival because you refused to give up. You kept going even when you’re safe because you didn’t know how to stop. Grinding and clawing away until you have worn your hands down to sharpen bone and your smile was  a ghastly baring of fangs.   
  
Like recognized like.   
  
“I’ll help you on one condition,” Rin said as she stood and approached the bars of her cell.   
  
“The chance to kill the bastard that kept you locked up ain’t enough?” Zabuza asked  as he moved away from the wall and took a step towards her cell door.    
  
For all he asked, Zabuza didn’t sound surprised she wanted more in return for her aid. It made sense to Rin after seeing that spark of madness. For both of them anything too easy was a trap.   
  
“In addition to being released from this cell and the opportunity to murder the current Mizukage, I want to be released from service to Kiri so I can return home,” Rin  demanded.   
  
Even with half his face hidden by bandages Rin could tell Zabuza was scowling at her. He didn’t seem angry so much as confused. “Where the hell are you from if it ain’t Kiri?”   
  
Rin did her best to ignore the implications of that question. If Zabuza was true to her word they would have plenty of time to talk after they made an agreement. Still, she did not see the reason to lie, especially if the Mizukage had covered up her origins enough that not even one of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist knew.   
  
“Konoha.”   
  
-   
  
“The fuck?”    
  
Zabuza wasn’t sure how to react. The jinchūriki of the Sanbi was a Konoha nin? How the hell did that happen? Why was she still alive? Zabuza had heard rumors there was a new Sanbi jinchūriki around the time he was chunin. They said the sealing had gone wrong somehow or that the jinchūriki had gone mad. Some even said she had tried to kill the Mizukage. No one had said anything about the jinchūriki being from Konoha. Zabuza had thought Rin was some bastard daughter of the Mizukage’s, unwillingly taken from her mother to play host to one of the Tailed Beasts. Utakata had been the Kage’s nephew.

What the fuck, a Konoha nin?   
  
“Do we have a deal or not?” Rin demanded as she stood in front of her cell door. She didn’t look like she was Konoha. Her clan markings weren’t that of the Inuzuka or Akimichi.    
  
If he managed to get the hat over Mei and Yagura he was going to send her back to Konoha with an escort guard to make sure she got back safely.    
  
Konoha wasn’t the most dangerous Hidden Village but they took pride in teamwork. They cared about their fellow ninja in a way no other village but Kumo did. If Zabuza didn’t get Rin back to Konoha, Konoha might very well show up with an army to take her back.   
  
Maybe Zabuza should have let Yagura go through with his plan to become the new Sanbi jinchūriki. Except for all that Yagura wanted the current Mizukage dead, Zabuza didn’t trust him. Better a jinchūriki he didn’t know than one he knew he could not trust.   
  
“No deal. If I just let you run back to Konoha you’ll just come back with enough Konoha nin to raze Kirigakure,” Zabuza argued. “Nice try, sweetheart.”

Rin gave him a smile that was more suitable for a Kiri nin than a Konoha one. “Don’t call me sweetheart. What if I promise to tell the Hokage that Kiri has… turned over a new leaf?”

“Cute. You’ll be escorted back to Konoha with a protection detail including an ambassador. Word will be sent ahead we’re releasing a Third War PoW as a sign of good faith to re-negotiate treaties,” Zabuza said, a bit proud of himself for that solution. Mei and Yagura weren’t subtle about how unsuitable they thought he was for Mizukage position. Sure, the political shit wasn’t natural for him but he could do it if necessary.

“What of the Sanbi? It can’t be extracted without killing me but I doubt anyone will agree with you handing over one of Kiri’s Jinchūriki to Konoha,” Rin asked carefully.

Zabuza shrugged as he said,  “You got the Sanbi but you aren’t Kiri’s. I think Kiri can go a lifetime without the Sanbi. Not like we’ve been using you.”

“True. I suppose those terms are good enough for now. Can we get this jailbreak on the road already?” Rin demanded, hands going to her hips as she tried to glare Zabuza into submission.

Zabuza rolled his eyes as he stepped forward and pulled out the key to unlock the room. Here he was the one that was rescuing the Sanbi jinchūriki and the woman had the gall to act like she was in charge. 

He could leave her to rot. Let Yagura extract the Sanbi and destroy her corpse. Konoha can’t demand retribution if there’s no proof. It’d be easier. 

It’d guarantee Yagura became the next Mizukage and Zabuza was determined to raise Hell before he let that happen. Sure he could just kill her but that would only stall Yagura until the Sanbi reappeared in the world. Wiser to get the Rin’s aid and then boot her back to Konoha before anyone got ideas.

Zabuza opened the cell door with a flourish, doing his best not to react to the sudden presence of Rin’s chakra. Cells designed to keep prisoners’ chakra contained certainly lasted longer and made more sense than chakra restraints but the major downside was how hard it was to detect a prisoner’s chakra while the cell was shut.

Not to be intimidated by the reminder he made a deal with a chakra powerhouse, Zabuza gestured mockingly towards the hallway leading out. “After you,  _ sweetheart _ .”

Rin gave him another Kiri-vicious smile as she stepped out of her cell. “Drop Dead,” she told him in a saccharine tone.

Zabuza laughed as he took lead and made a show of turning his back on Rin. Their deal meant shit if they couldn't trust each other.

Besides... she probably didn't want to admit she had no idea where the exit was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: whoops. Forgot to do this when I posted but comment mod is enabled if anyone wants to leave a “Private” review. Please mention it in the review and I won’t approve/publish it.

**Author's Note:**

> To help cutdown on spoilers for readers I’m a Tag as I go sort.


End file.
